For the first time in the history of the Andreevsky Orchestra, the suite from Glazunov's ballet «Raymonda» will be performed

State Academic Russian Orchestra named after V.V. Andreev will present a unique event - the first performance in the history of the company of fragments from Alexander Glazunov's ballet «Raymonda».

The concerts will take place on June 16, at 19:00, in the State Academic Capella of St. Petersburg and on June 17, at 20:00, in the Great Hall of the St. Petersburg Academic Philharmonic named after D. D. Shostakovich. Evgeny Khokhlov is conducting.

The ballet «Raymonda» is one of the crowning works of Russian romanticism, created by A.К. Glazunov commissioned by the great choreographer Marius Petipa. This music combines the nobility of the knightly spirit, the elegance of ballet writing, refined orchestration and motifs of oriental exoticism. In the concert version, prepared especially for the Andreevsky Orchestra, scenes of palace celebrations, the heroine’s dreams, Hungarian and Moorish dances come to life, and the score itself acquires new timbre colors and expressiveness thanks to folk instruments.

The evening's program is structured as a musical journey inspired by dance - stage, folk and stylized.
The first part will feature compositions that convey national temperament, theatrical expression and orchestral brilliance: Polonaise by V.V. Andreev, Concert Waltz A.К. Glazunov, «Dance of the Persian Women» from the opera «Khovanshchina» by M.P. Mussorgsky and the famous «Polovtsian Dances» from the opera «Prince Igor» by A.P. Borodin. The second part is entirely devoted to fragments from the ballet Raymonda - this choice emphasizes the importance of the premiere and allows the audience to immerse themselves more deeply in the musical and stage world of Glazunov. 

— Music of the ballet by A. Glazunov's «Raymonda» is rarely performed in symphony concerts, but it invariably attracts the attention of listeners. We have compiled a suite of the most striking numbers from Raymonda, which will sound especially colorful when performed by an orchestra of Russian instruments. This suite will be presented for the first time by the Andreevsky Orchestra. The rest of the concert program also consists of works that are somehow related to dance. It turned out to be a bright evening of Russian classics of the 19th century, says conductor Evgeny Khokhlov.

These concerts are not only a tribute to musical tradition, but also a step towards expanding the boundaries of the group’s repertoire. Familiar works of the Russian symphonic school in the sound of the Andreevsky Orchestra are revealed from an unexpected side, allowing one to hear the richness and strength of the national style in a new way.